Wall Street’s biggest asset managers have been quietly paring back their cryptocurrency exposure, unloading tens of millions of dollars in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) over the past week. The sales, disclosed through ETF flows and on-chain tracking, highlight shifting sentiment among institutions as volatility grips the digital asset market.
Bitcoin was last trading at $115,527, up 0.28% in the past 24 hours but down 2.33% over the week, with its market capitalization sitting at $64.04 billion higher on the day thanks to a modest 1.19% increase in trading volume. Ethereum, meanwhile, has remained relatively flat, changing hands at $4,285, down 0.16% in the past 24 hours and struggling to reclaim upside momentum.
Despite the muted price action, institutional flows tell a different story. BlackRock offloaded 19,504.95 ETH, worth roughly $82.7 million, in one of the firm’s largest single ETH sales in months. Fidelity followed suit, selling 17,536.56 ETH valued at $74.3 million, a coordinated pullback from leading Wall Street funds.
Bitcoin has not been spared either. Ark 21Shares, a major BTC ETF issuer, sold 559.85 BTC, translating into nearly $64.4 million in outflows. Adding to the pressure, BlackRock also reduced its BTC holdings, dumping 490 BTC worth $68.7 million.
While these disposals represent only a fraction of institutional portfolios, they have amplified market jitters, particularly as Bitcoin dominance recently triggered a Death Cross, signaling potential capital rotation away from BTC. The selling pressure from Wall Street comes at a time when broader crypto markets are already navigating declining liquidity and renewed profit-taking.
The critical question now is whether these sales represent tactical rebalancing ahead of macro catalysts or a more structural reduction in digital asset allocations. With volumes still resilient and retail demand holding steady, the near-term price reaction may remain muted, but institutional outflows could cap upside momentum if they persist.
